The 2018 Gold Coast Suns season was the Gold Coast Suns' 8th season in the Australian Football League. They also fielded a reserves team in the NEAFL.
AFL
Senior personnel
After round 20 in the 2017 season, senior coach Rodney Eade was sacked. In October 2017 it was announced that former premiership player and assistant coach Stuart Dew had signed a three-year deal to become the new senior coach at Gold Coast.
List changes
At the end of the 2017 season, the Suns announced that they had delisted five players, including three rookie-listed players. Early in the trade period, half-back Adam Saad requested a trade to , and the Suns attempted to trade him for Essendon's first-round draft pick. When Essendon instead traded that pick to for Devon Smith, the Suns instead received Essendon's second round pick for the 2018 draft. player Lachie Weller requested a trade to the Suns, but Fremantle wanted their number 2 pick in the 2017 draft in exchange. To avoid trading away their very early pick, Gold Coast exchanged a number of draft picks with to secure their first round pick in the 2018 draft, but Fremantle didn't budge and would only accept the number 2 pick. On the last day of the trade period the Suns accepted the trade, also receiving pick 41 from the Dockers. The Suns also managed to secure Harrison Wigg from and Aaron Young from .
One of the biggest trades of the 2017 trade period was that of two-time Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett. Ablett had originally asked to be traded from the Suns to , his original team, in 2016, but no agreement could be reached. He requested a trade again in 2017, and Gold Coast attempted to secure a player from Geelong's best 22 in exchange, but again nothing could be settled on. On the last day of the trade period the Suns accepted a deal where they would receive pick 19 (a selection Geelong got as compensation for losing Steven Motlop) and Geelong's second round pick in the 2018 draft while losing Ablett, pick 24 and their fourth round pick in the 2018 draft.
Retirements and deslistings
PlayerDateReasonCareer gamesCareer goalsRef. Jarrad Grant 4 September 2017 Delisted 95 94 Mitch Hallahan 4 September 2017 Delisted 26 7 Keegan Brooksby 4 September 2017 Delisted 14 3 Ryan Davis 4 September 2017 Delisted 35 19 Cameron Loersch 4 September 2017 Delisted 0 0
Trades
DateGainedFromLostRef. 16 October 2017 2018 second round pick (Essendon) Adam Saad 18 October 2017 Harrison WiggPick 542018 fourth round pick (Adelaide) Pick 39 19 October 2017 Pick 502018 first round pick (West Coast) Pick 21Pick 26Pick 372018 second round pick (Gold Coast) 19 October 2017 Aaron Young 2018 fourth round pick (Adelaide) 19 October 2017 Pick 192018 second round pick (Geelong) Gary AblettPick 242018 fourth round pick (Gold Coast) 19 October 2017 Lachie WellerPick 41 Pick 2 19 October 2017 2018 third round pick (Fremantle) Brandon Matera
Squad
Ladder
References